Water Street Brewery addition to Gateway site expected to receive OK from village this month

Plans are nearing completion for the addition of a restaurant and brewpub as the final phase of the Gateway to Grafton project.

Water Street Brewery is scheduled this week to present plans to the village’s Architectural Review Board that call for construction of a 9,854-square-foot building near the southeastern corner of I-43 and Ulao Road.

The building, which will house a restaurant and pub with room for more than 400 customers, is to be constructed on four acres between the Gateway BP fuel station and convenience store and a Hampton Inn & Suites, both of which opened this year.

Water Street Brewery has planned the Grafton business as its third outlet in southeastern Wisconsin. The company, which opened in 1987, currently has restaurants in downtown Milwaukee and Delafield.

Plans call for the pub to brew a line of Water Street beers on site. The restaurant will feature a selections of dinners, sandwiches and appetizers.

“The building will be an outstanding addition to a prominent location at the entrance to Grafton,” said Village Administrator Darrell Hofland.

“It will be a focal point for all travelers along I-43.”

The village’s Plan Commission approved a conceptual plan for the Gateway development as a three-phase project in late 2008. Each phase has subsequently required approval of final site and architectural plans, which the restaurant and pub still need before construction can begin.

The Architectural Review Board will discuss the project at 5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 10, at Village Hall, 860 Badger Cir. The Plan Commission will consider final site plan approval Tuesday, Dec. 22.

Hofland said both approvals are expected this month, paving the way for construction to start in early spring 2010.

However, Hofland noted the site plan has yet to be reviewed by the village planning department and will be scrutinized to ensure it conforms to floodplain restrictions. The Gateway site is on 16 acres adjacent to Ulao Creek.

“The village has not yet begun to review how the site plan will conform to the conceptual design,” he said. “Due to environmental issues, this remains a key consideration.

“Ultimately, the building will need to fit the site without infringing on the designated wetland areas.”

The Gateway project was developed by American Design and Build, which purchased the land in 2008. The site, which formerly held the Mr. Z’s building, was subsequently annexed to the village from the Town of Grafton.

Architectural plans for the Water Street Brewery project call for construction of a two-story building that will have a two-story tower and grain silo. A metal seam roof will cover the building, which will have a lannon-stone base and clapboard and batten siding.

A patio for outdoor seating is also planned.

In a report to the Architectural Review Board, Village Planning Director Mike Rambousek gave the building plans a favorable review and recommended only minor changes.

“Overall, this is a landmark project for this area of the village, and the planning and development staff is very pleased with the project to date,” he said.

The restaurant would become the second brew-pub business in the village, the first being the Milwaukee Ale House outlet that opened downtown last year. However, the Water Street Brewery would be the first such operation with on-site brewing.

Water Street Brewery officials said they are confident the new outlet will be a success.

“We are excited to open a brew pub in Grafton and look forward to being part of the Grafton community,” said Tina Lukowitz, the company’s marketing director.

PLANS FOR THE Water Street Brewery restaurant and brewpub in the Gateway to Grafton development call for construction of a 9,854-square-foot building that can serve more than 400 customers. The project — depicted in a drawing by Uihlein Wilson Architects — is the third and final part of a three-phase development at a 16-acre site near the southeastern corner of I-43 and Ulao Road.